I have been involved in some type of sales career for almost fifteen years. About 5 years ago I made a career change, still in sales. In all this time my performance has only gotten worse. In every other job that I have had in my life, I passed up senior employees and rose to the top as soon as a position was available. I have been beating myself up for not being able to master my new job and I think I have figured it out. It’s my attitude.
I joined the real estate sales force at an odd time for me. I thought the timing was perfect, offering a “flexible” schedule to accommodate my new family. Now I am not so sure.
Even though I am ridiculously in love with my family, my happy factor took a dip in many ways after the adoption. I let go of things that I love and love to do over the last few years because there just didn’t seem to be time for any of it. This of course led to some unhappineess, right? Add to that the distaste I was developing toward the greedy buyers and sellers I was running into every day, then the absolute collapse of the market. On top of that, there is the dismissive way realtors are often treated. It seemed that I was driving around all day, every day, showing houses to people who either ended up buying from another realtor they had also been working with secretly or whose financing fell through at the end.
I almost hate going to work now. Going into the office is fine, but showing houses, something I used to love, is now a chore to me. And no matter how accommodating I am or how big I smile, my body language and aura are surely displaying dread and exposing my fakeness. Now I have buyers just disappearing on me. Well I wonder why! You can sense when someone doesn’t like you or doesn’t want to be around you.
I am not sure, at this point, how to change the attitude without changing the job, but just having an explanation for my under achievement has already improved my disposition. And maybe recognizing that I have had a bad attitude will set me on the path to repairing it.
I wonder, do you love your job? Hate it? Feel just fine about it? Can you see a direct correlation between your job success and your disposition?
Hi,
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Zoran
“Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.”
I had tears in my eyes when I read your post because I know exactly how you feel.
I think the answer is to give higher priority to your needs. Make sure you have some quiet time to yourself every day. Figure out what it is that makes you feel good, and do it.
When we give and give to our family and leave nothing to ourselves, it affects our happiness and performance in every way.
Good luck!
The attitude of a person will affect his/her outlook in life and will be a basis for his/her actions. Having a great attitude will really make you successful with the thing you do. Having the time for yourself and your needs are very important so you won’t lose to keep track of yourself.
I know exactly how you feel I go through similar things with myself and my family. I some times just have to take a break from them all and lock myself in the bathroom and take a nice bubble bath or go for a walk and look at things. That always helps get me back on track.
Awwww everyone, thank you! Your comments are so thoughtful. I just re-read the post because I couldn’t quite figure out the tone of your comments. LOL. I didn’t realize how down it sounded… or how down I must have been. I have already made some decisions and some changes. I agree with you all… attitude is everything. I re-evaluated things and although at the time of writing it seemed that it was the poor market and attitude of buyers that was bringing me down, it is actually the nature of the schedule. Too much urgency, too much unpredictability, calls at all hours and un-regimented schedule for a mom with younger children who need STRUCTURE. No job is perfect and you can’t let it get you down, but fighting against what you have no control over, like conflicting schedules and last minute emergencies is a non winning battle, right?
If you love your job, clients, customers or consumers will be attract to you no matter what.If you don’t really like your job , I suggest you to move on.This is a mental torture if you continue.